Mother
by Mumbling Xandra
Summary: When Flora Shepard loses her beloved Thane, she is left with nothing but her memories and Kolyat, her son-in-law. When Flora discovers she is pregnant with Thane's child, can she ever help Kolyat accept her and his new sibling? Rated for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I know I should be writing 'needed', but I couldn't make this little idea escape my brain, so I shall have to write it! Basically, I was watching Thane's death in ME3, and thought 'I wonder if Shepard and Kolyat would stay in touch?' since my Shepard romanced Thane, I thought it would be uber-cute if they sort of stayed together...so I decided to write a fic about it! Also, Thane's romance was a little sucky. So, I shall add junk. Make this a little AU-ish, but not much. I'mma list this as Shepard & Kolyat, but that isn't the pairin' o'course!...Unless I feel like it. Which I might. Even I can't predict my moods. Also, I'm not sure how long this fic shall be...but I shall try my best. Enjoy.

~MX~

Seeing Thane again had really opened Flora Shepard's eyes. Back when he was on the Normandy, during the Collector situation...he had barely even shown signs of his illness. He had just been serene, calm and relaxed. His fitness and years of fighting prowess shone through as they faced their enemies, moving with such a beautifully swift silence that Flora sometimes managed to lose sight of him even when he was behind cover right next to her. Only occasionally did he mention Kepral's syndrome, and even then it did not seem to bother him greatly.

So, now, as she sat with Thane's hands clasped in hers, seated within the patient lounge of the hospital, one could only imagine how much it broke her heart to see him like this. So frail, so sick...he hid it well, but even he couldn't disguise the coughs tearing from his throat through every sentence. His skin had grown more pale, blotchy and dull. It really hit home how much time he had left. Silently, she cursed the Alliance for keeping her in their custody for so long. She could have spent those six months with her beloved, milked every second with him whilst he was still well.

"Siha...Is everything well?" Had Thane been talking? She had zoned out in her moment of contemplation, her surroundings forgotten for just a few minutes. She looked away from their joint hands, lacing her fingers with his. Hazel eyes met the dark, sparkling orbs that she adored so much. Even some of that enchanting glimmer had vanished from his eyes.

"I was just...I left you alone for six months. Six whole months. I could have been with you, helping you enjoy...enjoy what was left." Her voice cracked in the middle of the sentence. Her eyes welled up in seconds, the tears that had been preparing to fall free during every word that was spoke finally dripping over her lower eyelids. Once the tears had started, they would not stop. Thane brushed them away from her tanned cheek, his touch feather-light, almost as if it wasn't even there. She leant into the touch, small sobs racking her form.

"It was not your fault. I was fine. The hospital treats me well, and Kolyat visits regularly." Flora had encountered Kolyat a few times since she had reunited him and his father. He had visited his father on the Normandy after the battle with the Collectors was over, and they had met up on the Citadel. Initially, Kolyat was unsure of how to react to Flora's relationship with Thane, still hesitant to accept that his Father had moved on from his Mother, but eventually he warmed to her, the two staying in contact over the extranet. And for that, Flora was incredibly glad, for without Kolyat, she wouldn't have even known if Thane was still alive or not. Thane could not message her himself, just in case someone figured out his history, or revenge-seeking enemies tracked him down.

"But...I just missed you. So much. Every day, every night...all I could think about was you, Thane." Her voice was shaky, her eyes misted over with tears that refused to shed. Thane just thought she looked gorgeous. Mid-fight, she was majestic and powerful, a vision of justice. Every movement was executed with a wonderful flourish, her focus and determination never broken. But it was the moments that she dropped the mask of seriousness that her true beauty showed. He was one of the rare few that she let herself act natural around. And he felt honoured to see this side of her.

"It was the same here, Siha. You were the thing keeping me alive. I could not depart to the ocean without seeing you again." And every word of that was true. Flora...his own little flower. She meant everything to him, kept him whole when things were hard to bear. Yes, he had loved Irikah. She had awoken him from his battle sleep, made him capable of caring. But that was nothing like what he felt for Flora. Every touch, every word, every glance. They were each magical in their own way.

"Thank you, Thane...it is you who will be keeping me alive when I fight the Reapers." The Reapers. If it wasn't for them...No. She didn't want to think of them right now. They had controlled everything she'd done for the last three years. Every gunshot, every decision, all to try and stop the inevitable. Now was not the time. Although, she could use them as her driving force...the sooner she defeated them, the less chance of Thane's life ending prematurely! It was sad, but true.

Now it was Thane's turn to feel regret. He could not be there to help his beloved to finally destroy her greatest foe, he would not get to see her moment of glory. He just prayed that he would still live to actually see the day. He wanted nothing more than to leave this damnable hospital and join her. She would never let him, though, and it was probably for the better. The stress was not good for his condition, and she would not allow him to venture into the danger of the front lines. He understood, but did not enjoy her leaving him again.

"So...how is Kolyat doing?" Shepard had instantly picked up on Thane's surge of sadness, and the swift subject change had made that very clear. Flora even knew the answer to that question, as she had been talking to Kolyat frequently, but she did not want the conversation to drift to more depressing subjects.

"He is nearing the end of his work on the citadel...He's unsure of what to do once it is over, but aside from that he is well." Thane was thankful that the area Kolyat was ordered to patrol was so near to the hospital. That meant he visited often, the two finally close enough to talk without the air being tense and the words they each spoke forced and awkward, almost painful in nature. Flora smiled, stroking one of her slender hands down the side of his face, resting on his neck to lightly stroke at his neck frills. Thane had noticed the scars upon Flora's hands, along with the missing middle finger on her right hand. They had not been there when he had met her. Her hands had been smooth, perfect and pristine...which meant that her injuries had happened on the suicide mission. She had been so focused, she hadn't even cared. She must have been in agony, and yet she spoke a word of it to no one. Such was the way of Flora. She would bottle up her emotions, let them fester and boil until they burst. He worried for what such things did for her own health. She had also begun to stop wearing her fringe clipped aside, letting it spread over her forehead, so she had likely gained another scar upon her face, one she did not want people to see.

How someone so rugged and fierce could also be so sweet and gentle...Thane didn't believe he would ever fully comprehend how she managed it. Personally, he quite liked the scars. Each told their own story, a tale of Flora's conquests. Her failures, her successes...they fascinated him. He had been known to enjoy laying next to an unclothed Flora, tracing over each of her scars as she happily explained how she had gained them. She seemed glad to tell someone, reveal secrets that she had not dared to tell anyone besides Thane. He would not judge her.

"Siha...Flora." Flora raised an eyebrow. Thane rarely called her by her first name. His look suddenly became a lot more serious than it previously had been, and his grip on her grew tighter. She hummed in reply, urging him to continue whatever it was he wanted to say. Her smile had fallen, but she tried to look at least content as she listened to him speak.

"You are aware that my heart belongs to you, yes?" Where was he going with this? Of course she knew. Yes, there had been times at the beginning of their odd little liaison in which she thought that she may have just been acting as a replacement for Irikah, but he had soon proven that he truly did care about her. She nodded, her wavy, dark hair bobbing with the movement. Thane glanced away for just a moment. He looked...nervous?

"I...wish to make it official that I am yours, for all eternity." Her eyes widened, and it brought a slight smile to Thane's scaled lips. She knew where he was going with this. Her expression was hard to decipher, but the look in her eyes screamed nothing but happiness. She wrapped her arms around him, her face lighting up. She sent him one of her rare tooth-filled smiles. He almost felt privileged. Flora despised her teeth, for reasons that confused Thane. He thought it cute that they were ever-so-slightly wonky.

"Flora Shepard, will you marry me?" Spectators of their affectionate displays turned at the question, each eager to see the reaction of the lucky lady. Which just happened to be a very loud and high-pitched squeal, the likes of which Thane hadn't even known Flora could make. He released a combination of a cough and a dry chuckle as Flora nuzzled her face into his neck, her grin bigger than he had ever seen before.

"Yes! Just...Yes!" A wave of cheering and applause erupted from their audience as Shepard just about screeched her response. Flora didn't even feel a smidgen of embarrassment despite being watched by all the inhabitants of the lounge. She'd never expected to find such an immense moment of joy within all the horror and despair filling her life. She would revel in it for as long as possible.

Thane pulled his beloved close into a passionate and kiss. Her never wanted to let this woman go. He wouldn't. He would watch her in every moment in this one and the next, every moment and every second. Yes, his life was coming to an end. But what of it remained, he could live happily alongside Flora.

And Flora...she would make every minute they had left worth it. And that was a vow. One she would never break.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I said I would get back to 'Needed'...but I have grown a super-strong love for this story, and I think I may have to finish this one before I continue with Dash and Joker's story...xD But really, I've somehow converted myself into a Thane fangirl...Thanegirl. I am so using that from now on. I hadn't actually realized that I could write depressing-sappy fics...T'would appear that I can! I am going to be messing around a bit with the Mass effect facts, such as the love confessions, and the time line and whatnot. Just a warnin'! Anyways, reviews are appreciated! ...And flames kill Thane faster. That's right. Evil, evil flamers. Hide yo Thanes, hide yo...Drells? This capter has hinted-at sexual situations...I don't think that needs an M-rating, but just warn me if you think it does. Don't want to get deleted!

~o0o~

Their wedding ceremony was only a simple, human affair. It took place on the Citadel, as Flora did not wish to keep Thane too far away from the hospital for long. He would not have minded, but she insisted. It was hard to say no to her once she had her mind set on something. Some found that to be one of her more annoying tendencies, but Thane just thought it was a charming little quirk that didn't show often. It was the main reason that he left the planning to her, and she let him rest. Whatever she chose to do would be okay for him, he didn't mind as long as he got to be with her.

Flora arranged the ceremony to be as soon as possible after Thane had proposed. She was still stuck in a little bubble of euphoria, mostly oblivious to anything aside from her upcoming wedding. To Thane, it was just indescribably adorable to see her skipping around like a lovestruck teenager. The Normandy crew found it a lot more creepy, but she hadn't even noticed their perplexed stares and hushed comments. But they did agree that it was nice to see Shepard feeling anything other than stress. Planning had sort of become her outlet for all her pent-up annoyance, so it was good for her to release it somehow.

It was surprisingly easy to find people willing to perform the wedding, as there was so many who were desperate to bring at least a tiny scrap of joy onto the Citadel during those times of such despair. Which was exactly why Flora chose to get married in a fairly public place, so that the refugees could see that there actually was some hope left in the world. Those were her intentions, at least. It may have sounded cheesy when said aloud, but she felt it was the right thing to do.

Along with various members of the public, the crew of the Normandy, just a few of Flora's friends, and Kolyat, the crowd was not overly large, and the venue not completely packed. It was comfortably full, cosy even. Just...perfect. Flora could not have been any happier, and, of course, seeing her happy made Thane equally as happy. He had just about managed to push it to the back of his mind for now, but when he died...he knew how it would shatter Flora. She needed this small burst of joy to keep her thoughts away from all of the hardships and horrors just waiting for her around the corner. It was one of the reasons he had proposed to her. Of course, he adored her more than words could describe, but he realized that she needed this.

The look on her face as she strode down the aisle made everything worth it. Beauty, grace...that was Flora. It was her being, her essence. She hadn't gone over the top with her outfit, she wasn't a fan of being overly girlish, even when the situation seemed appropriate. She had stuck with just a simple white strap dress. Of course, she had to give it her own personal touch. Well, technically it had been James' idea, but she had sewn an 'N7' patch near the hem, and worn matching red and black stockings. It bought a smile to Thane's face to see quite how much fun she'd had arranging this. And, from the sidelines, Vega felt oddly proud that Shepard had used his idea. Perfect boasting material. Then again, 'I helped Shepard decorate her wedding dress' wasn't exactly the manliest claim to fame ever.

The press had wormed their way into the venue, but it didn't really bother Flora all that much. She had pretty much phased out everything but Thane. Thane. He had just worn his regular clothing, and yet he just...he looked positively wonderful. Her prince. If some had told Flora years ago that she would one day fall so hopelessly in love with a Drell, she would have never believed them. In fact, she didn't think she would ever let her feelings get this strong for anyone. Thane was her first ever relationship, and she was just fine with it staying that way, she never was good at dealing with other people...he was just...different. Caring, compassionate, and he did not blame Flora for all the disaster caused around the galaxy, unlike so many others. She'd known it the moment that she'd locked eyes with him in the Dantius towers...she knew he was going to change her.

Thane had felt the same when he was burst through the ceiling to reveal the prestigious Commander Shepard standing before him. He had heard so much about her, she was known worldwide for saving the Citadel. It was said that she was stern, ruthless, downright cold. The rumours certainly did not do her justice. Yes, he did act icy towards her after their first meeting. He had honestly believed that he needed to keep his walls up around this woman. After all, why would someone of her level ever see him as anything other than expendable? And then he saw how well she treated her crew. With the utmost respect, if they had a personal problem, she would help them without asking a question. He trusted her. She reunited him with his son, without even judging him for effectively abandoning his family.

And then there was the love confession. It had become apparent that Shepard was avoiding him, she had not taken him along with her for any missions, nor had she visited him in the Normandy's Life support for days. He was the one to approach her, question why she suddenly did her best not to see him at all. She had followed him to Life support, the silence heavy and the tension thick enough to slice with a dagger. He was the first to admit how he felt. He'd known it for a long time, admiring Flora from a distance, his heart heavy with emotions. He could not deny it any longer, as much as he didn't want to burden Flora by falling for her so close to his death. But Flora did not seem offended, she did not seem disgusted. Instead, she had pulled him close, her eyes filling with tears of happiness. Thane had not believed for a second that he could ever have someone like Flora Shepard. He had found his Siha, and he would not let her go.

And as they said their vows before their impromptu audience, they each let all emotions flow free. Even Thane almost cried, so glad that he could live to see this day, the day he truly became Flora's. They held each other like their lives depended on it as the crowd applauded. He was not the only one close to tears, Liara was in the process of sobbing into the shoulder of Joker, who was also trying to pretend that he wasn't tearing up just a little. Everyone appeared just about as wonderful as Thane felt. He snaked his arms around Flora's form. This memory...was one he would recall vividly. More than usual, of course.

Following the wedding, Flora allowed Thane back on the Normandy for the night, just to finally allow the pair a chance for some much-needed privacy. In public, Flora was forever swarmed with gawker flocks, people whispering and muttering below their breaths. Some had even sunk to shouting insults, approaching her with threats. So many people...they had convinced themselves that every death, every building destroyed...they all thought it was because of her. She had to carry that around on her shoulders, keep it locked up in her mind.

Thane helped that all go away, if just for a night. This was a night just for them, a night for being together. Becoming one with the one who meant so much to her. As he slid his smooth hands down her body and slid her out of her dress, all of her worries and fears seemed to bubble away, drift into the far away planes of her mind. With Thane, she could let everything go. Every kiss, every touch...they were her Heaven. There was nowhere she would rather be than with Thane. Her heart beat fast as she stared into his glimmering eyes. It fascinated her how one being could mean so much to her...but she was glad to have known love, if only for a short while.

Their love-making had an air of sadness surrounding it, an air of a couple that knew they would be parting soon. Neither of them ever wanted it to end, never wanted to pull away from their dearest. They thought that for that night, they had as long as they needed. They did not know of the tragedy soon to happen. As Flora lay a kiss on Thane's lips, she felt almost as if all was right in the world, despite the Reapers.

She did not count for Kai Leng.


End file.
